Attaching-wedge.



J. L. CLARKE.

ATTAUHING WEDGE.

nrmorrxon FILED In 10, 1909.

Patented Apr. 12, 1910.

JOHN LEE QLAEKE, OF ALBUQUERQUE, TERRITORY OF NEW MEXICO.

ATTAGHING-WEDGE.

Specification or Letters remit,

Patented Apr. 12, .1910.

Application flied May 10, 1909. Serial No. 495,008

To all whom 'it may concern: I

Be it known that 1, JOHN LEE CLARKE, citizen of the United States,residing at Albuquerque, in the county of Bernalillo and Territory ofNew Mexico, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAttaching-Wedges, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements for fastening the heads of toolsupon the handles thereof, the object being to rovide means for wcdgingthe handle min t e head of the tool, and for ti htening the handletherein as the wood comes compressed through the use of the tool.

The invention consists broadly in the use of a split resilient wedgewhose 0 posite faces are preferably ratchet-toothe so as to prevent anywithdrawal of the wedge, the wed e being forced into the end of the banie as the handle becomes compressed.

For a full understanding of the invention and the merits thereof, and toacquire a knowledge of the details of construction, reference is to behad to the following description and accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved locking wedge; Fig. 2 is alongitu dinal section of the u per end of a tool handle and socket,showing the wedge partly inserted; Fig. 3 is a like view, showing thewedge fully inserted; Figs. 4 and 5 are like views showin modificationsin the handle.

Corresponding and like parts are referred to in the followingdescription and indicated in all the views of the drawing by the samereference characters.

Referring to Fig. 1, 2 represents a wedge of resilient material such assteel which is longitudinally split from its broader end downward nearlyto its extremity, the two sides of the wedge being forced outward by theresilienc of the material of the wedge. In the artic e itself, beforeinsertion into a tool handle, the two sides 3 are preferably outwardlycurved, as I find that this form resists compression better. The edge ofthe wedge is of course sharp enough to easily enter the tool handle orthe slot which may be cut therein to receive the wedge. The outer facesof the walls of the wedge are ratchet-toothed, said teeth 4 having faceswhich are upwardly and then inwardly inclined so as to resist anywithdrawal ofv the wedge after insertion.

In Figs. 2 to 5, I have shown my lock ingwedge in pla In Fi .2 5'desiates the socket of an; desired haiidle, infill} as the socket of an ax,hatchet, or other like device, and 6 the handle thereof. The wedge 2 18shown as inserted into the handle and partly driven into the woodthereof, thus expanding the sides of the handle against the inside aceof the socket. As the wood of the handle becomes through use, and thetool loose thereon, the wedge is driven further into the wood, thusforcing out the handle and tightening it against the socket.

In Fig. 3, the wedge is shown driven in to its full extent. As will beseen, the ratchet teeth on the side faces of the wed will engage withthe wood, and it will be impossible to remove the wedge after once ithas been inserted, except by compression of the resilient sides of thelocking wedge. This could be done b a powerful tool, but it would beimpossib e to remove it or the tool head unless this were done. In Fig.4, the same wedge is used as in Fig. 3, but the interior face of thehead is roughened or toothed, as at 7, so that as the wood is forcedoutward, it will become indented by these teeth and more rigidconnection formed be tween the handle and tool head. In Fig. 5, theinterior face of the tool head is convex, and the handle is slightlyconcave on its sides. M wedge will expand the handle against t e convexsides of the head and hold it in absolute enga ement therewith.

The resiliency of the w ge caused by the sides thereof bein divided fromeach other and then outwar ly bent, permits it to be inserted with lessdanger of splitting the wood of the handle than would be the case werethe wedge solid, and at the same time the resiliency of the two sidescauses these two sides to be forced outward, and causes the tool to beembedded in the wood. This would not be the case were the wedge solid.The teeth would simply score the wood longitudinally, each successivetooth enlargin this score somewhat, but unless the woo were veryelastic, there would be no embedding of the teeth in the wood, and as aconsequence, the wedge would be much more wood of the handle than wouldbe the case with my resilient wedge.

It will be seen that my device can be -made as a separate article ofmanufacture,

and sold separate from the tools. They do not require to be put in placeby machinery, but may be driven in by anyone. While I have shown mydevice as applied to tools,

and find it of especial value for this purpose, I do not wish to belimited to this, as it would be possible to use the split resilient wede whenever it was desired to connect a woo en shank to a ri id ormetallic socket.

Havin thus descri ed the invention, what is claime as new is 1. As anarticle of manufacture, a fiat wedge of resilient materiallongitudinally s lit for a portion of its length from its tiiick endtoward its thin end to form two resilient wings, the exterior faces ofsaid wedge being formed with teeth inclined toward the butt end of thewedge.

52. The combination with a wooden shank and a metallic socketsurrounding the same, said socket having inwardly toothed side walls, ofa wed e driven into the end of said shank, said we ge being formed ofresilient material longitudinally split for a ortion of its length toform two resilient wlngs.

3. The combination with a wooden shank and a metallic socket surroundingthe same, said socket having inwardly toothed side walls, of a wedgedriven into the end of said shank, said wedge being formed of resilientnaterial longitudinally split for a portion of its length from its buttend toward its thin end to form two wings, said wings being divergentlybent from each other, said wings on their outer faces being providedwith teeth inclined toward the butt end of the wedge.

4. The combination with a wooden shank and a metallic socket surroundingthe same, said socket havin inwardly toothed side walls, of a wedgeriven into the end of said shank, said wed e being formed of resilientmaterial longitw inally split for a portion of its length from the buttend of the wedge toward the narrow end to form two wings,said wingsbeing divergently curved from each other, said wings on their outerfaces being provided with teeth inclined toward the butt end of saidwedge, the teeth on said socket also being inclined toward the butt endof the wedge.

In testimon whereof I atlix my signature 1n presence 0 two witnesses.

JOHN LEE CLARKE. [n.s]

\Yitnesses JOHN B. MoMANus, HUGH J. COLLINS.

